Construction toy utilizing real or simulated household tools and simulating a real or imagined living thing

ABSTRACT

Simulated bird is made from wooden construction elements including a thick disc for a body member, a wooden hamer for a neck and head assembly, a pair of simulated wooden open-end wrenches for feet and legs, a pair of simulated wooden hand saws for wings and a simulated wooden monkey wrench for a tail. The legs and wings are mounted on an axle which can only be removed after the legs and wings have been removed in a predetermined sequence. The axle keys the hammer handle in position on the disc so that the axle must be removed before the hammer can be removed.

0 Mined 'States Patent [191 [111 3,736,6% Laird et al. 1 June 5, 1973 54 CONSTRUCTION TOY UTILIZING D149,260 4/1948 Danz ....46/151 x REAL R SIMULATED HOUSEHOLD 3,039,219 6/1962 Umstead ..D34/2X TOOLS AND SIMULATING A REAL OR OTHER PUBLICATIONS IMAGINED LIVING THING v Toys and Novelties Publication Sept, 1962 pg. 90 [75] Inventors: Alexandra B. Laird, Venice; Sidney No. 3593 Bass, Los Angeles, both of Calif. [73] Assignee: Mattel, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif. Primary Examiner-Louis M m Assistant ExaminerD. L. Wemhold F'ledi 1971 Attorney-Seymour A. Scholnick 21 A I. N 207 427 1 pp 0 57 ABSTRACT 52 US. Cl. ..46/17, 46/22, 273/160 simulaied is "P construcfim ments including a thick dISC for a body member, a [51] Int. Cl. ..A63h 33/06 wooden hamer for a neck and head assembly, a pair of p ;7:2;g 6 simulated wooden open-end wrenches for feet and l l legs, a pair of simulated wooden hand saws for wings and a simulated wooden monkey wrench for a tail. [5 6] References C'ted The legs and wings are mounted on an axle which can UNITED STATES PATENTS only be removed after the legs and wings have been removed in a predetermined sequence. The axle keys D96,616 8/1935 Livingston ..D29/26 the hammer handle in position on the disc so that the D150,636 8/1948 a g .....D29/23,X axle must be removed before the hammer can be D Pollock removed Dl87,l77 2/1960' Lawson ..D29/23 D212,333 10/1968 DelPorto ..46/l51 UX 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH 5 I975 CONSTRUCTION TOY UTILIZING REAL OR SIMULATED HOUSEHOLD TOOLS AND SIMULATING A REAL OR IMAGINED LIVING THING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The background of the invention will be set forth in two parts.

I. Field of the Invention The present invention pertains generally to the field of construction toys and more particularly to such a toy utilizing simulated or real household tools and simulating a real or imagined living thing.

2. Description of the Prior Art US. Pat. No. 2,022,261 is one example of a prior art disclosure of a toy construction set utilizing household tools or implements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful construction toy exemplifying improvements over the prior art.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful construction toy utilizing real or imagined household tools and simulating a real or imagined living thing.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a toy of the type described which may only be disassembled by removing its parts in a predetermined sequence.

A wooden hammer is used for the neck and head assembly and a wooden, simulated monkey wrench is used for the tail.

An axle carries a pair of wooden simulated saws to represent wings of the bird and a pair of wooden, openended wrenches mounted on the axles to simulate the legs and feet of the bird. The axle locks the hammer in place and a pair of nuts hold the open-ended wrenches and saws in position on the axle. One of the nuts may be removed by the simulated monkey wrench, which is the only item not locked in position on the body. When this nut is removed, one of the open-ended wrenches may be removed and employed to remove the other nut which, in turn, permits removal of the other wooden saw and open-ended wrench. The axle may then be removed by sliding it axially in a predetermined direction. Then the hammer may be removed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring again to the drawing, a construction toy constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, generally designated 10, may be made from be hereinafter described and simulates a real or imagined living thing in the form of a simulated bird.

Toy 10 includes a body 12 having a circular cross section. Body 12 is provided with an axially extending, through-going bore 14 having a square cross section interrnediate its ends l6, l8 and circular counterbores 20, 22 adjacent its ends 16, 18 respectively. Body 12 is also provided with a first radially extending counterbore 24, which intersects bore 14, and a second radially extending counterbore 26, which stops short of the bore 14.

Toy 10 also includes a wooden hammer 28 including a head 30 and a handle 32. Head 30 is secured to one end 34 of handle 32 by a pin 36. The other end 38 of handle 32 is provided with a reduced-diameter portion 40 lying adjacent bore 14 when end 38 is bottomed-out in bore 24. An axle 42 may then be inserted through bore 14 for locking hammer 28 into position in bore 24.

Axle 42 may be conveniently molded from a suitable plastic material, such as polypropolene, and has a cruciform cross section formed by axially extending ribs 44, 46, 48 and 50 reinforced by circular discs 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60. Axle 42 includes a first threaded end 62 and a second threaded end 64 and can only be positioned in bore 14 by inserting end 62 into either end 16 or 18 thereof and then by pushing axle 42 through bore 14 until disc 54, which is larger than the other discs, bottoms out in either counterbore 20 or 22, depending on whether end 62 was inserted into end 16 or 18 of bore 14.

A first simulated wooden hand saw 66 may then be placed on end 62 of axle 42 to simulate a wing of an imaginary bird. A first open-ended wrench 68 may then be installed on end 62 to simulate one leg and foot of the bird. Hand saw 66 and wrench 68 are secured in position on end 62 by a square nut 70 which may be tightened by using a second simulated open-ended wrench 72 which may be installed on end 64 of axle 42 after a second simulated hand saw 74 has been positioned thereon. Wrench 72 and hand saw 74 may be secured in position on end 64 by a hex nut 76 which may be tightened by a simulated monkey wrench 78 having a handle 80 and a head 82.

Toy 10 may then be disassembled by first removing wrench 78 which, in turn, may be used to remove nut 76. Leg 72 and saw 74 may then be removed. It should be noted at this point that disc 54 and nut 70 prevent removal of axle 42 at this stage. Wrench 72 may then be used to remove nut 70 so that wrench 68 and saw 66 may beremoved. Axle 42 may then be removed by sliding it axially in the direction of arrow 84 (FIG. 3). Removal of axle 43 frees hammer 28 so that it may then be removed.

While the particular construction toy herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims, which form a part of this disclosure.

We claim:

1. A construction figure toy comprising:

a body member simulating the body of a figure and having holding means for releasably holding appendage simulating members;

a plurality of appendage simulating members held to said body member by-said holding means; and

certain of said holding means, appendage simulating members, and said body member having interengaging elements whereby said appendage simulating means must be removed in predetermined sequence to disassemble said toy and must be assembled in reverse sequence.

2. A construction figure toy comprising:

a body member simulating the body of a figure and having holding means for releasably holding appendage simulating members;

a plurality of appendage simulating members held to said body member by said holding means;

certain of said holding means, appendage simulating members, and said body member having interengaging elements whereby said appendage simulating means must be removed in predetermined sequence to disassemble said toy and must be assembled in reverse sequence; and

said body member having a first bore therethrough;

said holding means including a second bore intersecting said first bore and an axle extending removably through said first bore; one of said appendage simulating members extending into said second bore and having a portion interengaging said axle to be held thereby.

3. A toy as defined in claim 2 wherein means on said body member and axle prevent withdrawal of saidvaxle from said first bore in one direction but permit withdrawal in the other direction; and second and third appendage simulating members releasably secured torespectively opposite ends of said axle.

4. A toy as defined in claim 3 wherein said axle is removable from said first bore only in the direction toward said third appendage simulating member and wherein said third appendage simulating member includes means for releasing said second appendage simulating member from said axle to thereby release said axle.

5. A toy as defined in claim 4 including a fourth appendage simulating member releasably mounted on said body member and having means thereon for releasing only said third appendage member from said axle.

6. A toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said body member is configured to simulate the body of a creature, said appendage members each being in the form of a common inanimate object of a shape to simulate the corresponding appendage of said creature. 

1. A construction figure toy comprising: a body member simulating the body of a figure and having holding means for releasably holding appendage simulating members; a plurality of appendage simulating members held to said body member by said holding means; and certain of said holding means, appendage simulating members, and said body member having interengaging elements whereby said appendage simulating means must be removed in predetermined sequence to disassemble said toy and must be assembled in reverse sequence.
 2. A construction figure toy comprising: a body member simulating the body of a figure and having holding means for releasAbly holding appendage simulating members; a plurality of appendage simulating members held to said body member by said holding means; certain of said holding means, appendage simulating members, and said body member having interengaging elements whereby said appendage simulating means must be removed in predetermined sequence to disassemble said toy and must be assembled in reverse sequence; and said body member having a first bore therethrough; said holding means including a second bore intersecting said first bore and an axle extending removably through said first bore; one of said appendage simulating members extending into said second bore and having a portion interengaging said axle to be held thereby.
 3. A toy as defined in claim 2 wherein means on said body member and axle prevent withdrawal of said axle from said first bore in one direction but permit withdrawal in the other direction; and second and third appendage simulating members releasably secured to respectively opposite ends of said axle.
 4. A toy as defined in claim 3 wherein said axle is removable from said first bore only in the direction toward said third appendage simulating member and wherein said third appendage simulating member includes means for releasing said second appendage simulating member from said axle to thereby release said axle.
 5. A toy as defined in claim 4 including a fourth appendage simulating member releasably mounted on said body member and having means thereon for releasing only said third appendage member from said axle.
 6. A toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said body member is configured to simulate the body of a creature, said appendage members each being in the form of a common inanimate object of a shape to simulate the corresponding appendage of said creature. 